Public Service Announcement

[3rdragon]

Dear Internet,

If you commission a knitted object -- that is, if you ask a knitter to make you a thing -- the knitter will often expect that you at least pay for any yarn or trimmings s/he does not already own. In the knitting community, this is not considered selling your work; it's just covering the cost of materials. Occasionally there are exceptions to this if the knitter likes you a lot, or if the thing is for a Big Occasion present, but don't assume that it's an exception unless it's been made clear that both labor and materials are part of the gift. If, when talking about possible materials, price is one of the considerations, that's almost certainly because the knitter thinks that you're paying for it.

Me


(I probably would not have taken on this project if I'd realized that it included a $25 investment, but at this point, I just want her to take the blanket and be happy with it, and for this not to be awkward anymore. I certainly don't want the blanket back. What am I going to do with a large and somewhat boring baby blanket?)

Well, things to make EXTRA CLEAR next time. I guess it just didn't occur to me that someone wouldn't expect to pay for materials when she requested the object.

. . . and this is why I often avoid working on commission; it just seems to get complicated. And part of why I laugh so hard when people tell me I could sell my knitting.

Comments

[kepod.livejournal.com]

Taking into account what a minimum wage, or a liveable wage, would be in this country on a per hour basis, and then adding up all the hours a project would take, someone intending to sell knitted items professionally would need to set prices significantly higher than people who propose such things would expect.

I saw a blog post or magazine article somewhere about ways to politely decline when someone asks to commission knitted items. It mentioned the time commitment and how knitting one thing means taking time away from other projects, so the writer mentioned emphasizing that her time is consumed with the projects she already has in mind for loved ones.

[3rdragon]

Yes, that's the other part of why I laugh so hard when people tell me that I should sell my knitting.

[phantomcranefly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, about the only thing I could make minimum wage on is the cheap fleece scarves where you sew one seam down the middle and then cut fringe, and I'm not sure people would necessarily pay ten dollars for one. Sigh.